The median represents a value that separates the higher half from the lower half of a data sample. Microsoft Excel has a function that allows you to calculate the Median easily. Let’s see how to calculate or get the Median in Excel.
How to calculate Median in Excel
The median function in Excel can be categorized as a statistical function. It can be entered as part of a formula in a cell of a worksheet. The syntax of the MEDIAN function is as follows:
MEDIAN (number1, [number2], …)
Where number1, number2, … are numeric values for which you want to calculate the median. These can be numbers, named ranges, or references to cells containing numbers. Number1 is required. Subsequent numbers are optional.
To use the MEDIAN function as a worksheet function in Microsoft Excel:
- Enter the values in cells
- Use the formula to calculate the value.
1] Enter the values in cells
Supposing you want to find the median of numbers in cells D2:D8. Simply enter the data value by opening a blank Excel sheet and doing the following,
Make one column of Average Monthly Expenses and another column, adjacent to it of Amount.
Enter the description in column 1 and value or amount corresponding to it in column 2
2] Use the formula to calculate the value
Now, to calculate the median click inside any cell and use the formula as simple as this:
=MEDIAN (D2:D8)
Instantly, the median value corresponding to the data will be visible in the cell. Here, it is important to note that when the total number of values is odd, the Excel MEDIAN function returns the middle number in the data set i.e., if there are numbers from 1 to 7, the median value will be 4 (1,2,3,4,5,6,7)
Alternatively, when the total number of values is even, Excel will return as the average of the two middle numbers i.e., if there are numbers from 1 to 8, the median value will be (1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8) 4+5/2 = 4.5
You need not worry about cells with Texts as empty cells, as well as cells containing text and logical values, are ignored.
Note: Cells with zero values (0) are included in calculations.
In most recent versions of Microsoft Excel, the MEDIAN function accepts up to 255 arguments.
Read next: How to count Nonblank Cells in Excel.
